1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video system, and more particularly, to an improvement in the handling and operating characteristics of a video system which has a video camera and a video recorder therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an integral video camera and video tape recorder (VTR) provided in a single unit has become popular. An increasing number of these camera-VTRs have a camera mode in which the camera is in operation and in which the VTR can be set either in an operation state or in a recording pause state, and a VTR mode in which the camera is not operating mainly in order to perform reproducing operations by the VTR in order to record pictures taken by the camera in the VTR.
By having the camera mode and the VTR mode as described above, the camera-VTR can provide improved handling and operating characteristics, and reduce its consumption of electricity.
In general, the camera mode and the VTR mode are switched by an operation switch, such as a slide switch. Another known method switches the above modes by opening and closing a lens cover of the camera. However, mounting these kinds of operation members adds unnecessary structure and this is not desirable for making this kind of camera-VTR smaller, lighter and more inexpensive.
Furthermore, since a VTR having the above two modes needs various kinds of operation keys, a control panel tends to be larger and subdivided, while it is necessary to make each operation key and the intervals therebetween smaller. Therefore, such mode-switching operation members will increase the likelihood that incorrect operations will be caused and the VTR will be more difficult to operate.